Broody hens???

[Willow's Meadow]

What is a broody hen? What does that mean? When do they go broody? I keep hearing this term but I don't know what it means.

 

[SuziQ991]

Broody is when a hen decides to sit on her eggs and hatch them. My first broody is about 8 months old, so I guess anytime after laying. Hope this helps,

 

[cybercat]

Not every breed goes broody either. Some are more known for it than others. Even them many hatchery lines of a breed known to be broody will not go for they had it breed out of them. Some of us perfer to have the chickens raise their own chicks so we get all happy when one goes broody so they will hatch eggs and raise the chicks. For many broodies work better than incubators.

 

[Tecalli]

For those of us without a rooster and therefore no fertile eggs for a broody hen to hatch, going broody is a pain. My 1 yr old blue orphington went broody for the first time at about 9.5 months of age. I say this is a pain because while broody the hen just sits in her nest box, doesn't get adequate food, water, or exercise, and will stop laying.

If you want to "break" a boody hen so she will stop being broody, there are some great threads on BYC on how to do this.

 

[rhoda_bruce]

I have 4 broodies now. 3 RIRs and one Americauna. Pain.

 

[eenie114]

I have 1 broody right now, and for some reason, mine will only go broody when I am keeping a rooster....

 

[FarmGirl01]

Broody..... The decision to hatch some eggs. Determined beyond beleif. Hard to break. Never when you want it.

 

[Kittymomma]

Quote:

I love it because it's so true.